The Wait is Over

Beth Gorr

12/10/2003

The patience and the waiting is over, both for Bears fans and for rookie quarterback Rex Grossman. This Sunday, against the Minnesota Vikings, Grossman will get his first start as the Bears quarterback. Beth Gorr talks to Bears players who have been working with the new QB to get their sense of what to expect when the Bears offense takes to the field...

After months of waiting patiently on the sidelines, Rex Grossman got the
call he'd been hoping for from head coach Dick Jauron. While there might be
those on the team that might not be happy about a rookie quarterback
finishing the season Grossman definitely has his supporters.

"I was really excited," Grossman said. "It wasn't something that I was
expecting."

With the spotlight on the young QB, members of the team are voicing their
support. Second year DE Alex Brown, who played with Rex at Florida, was one
of the first to speak about the dawn of the Grossman era.

"I imagine that he'll be a little nervous at first, but he'll get the hang
to it pretty fast" Brown said. "After all, it's just football. Throwing and
catching, doing things right and on time. It's not really that difficult,
especially if you have put the amount of time into it that Rex has."

Brown felt that Grossman's sense of the game and natural ability should
serve him well in the NFL.

"The speed of the game might take a little adjustment," Brown said. "It is
quite different from college. This is something that you can't actually
experience until you are out there in a game situation. He'll probably make
some mistakes. All of us have done that at one time or another. But that is
how you learn and develop as a professional football player."

For the team, Grossman is somewhat of an unknown quantity at this point.
Brown's hope is that Grossman will thrive at the professional level.

"Of course, I know that this is a whole different thing for him," Brown
said." If
Rex goes out there and throws four interceptions during the first quarter,
then it will be a real setback. If, however, he throws four touchdown
passes, Rex could be the next big thing for this team."

The realization that the rookie will be starting had a particularly strong
impact on fellow members of this year's freshman football class.

"I couldn't be happier for Rex," said WR Bobby Wade. ‘We have great
communication. That's been the situation since we first met in training
camp.
I can't even begin to imagine the pressure he must be feeling right now.
He's such a skilled player and I'm sure that he will be able to handle the
expectations when he is out there on the field."

"We've been friends since the first day we met "Gage said. "All of the
rookies feel that way. Rex generates a confidence that has an effect on the
entire team."

Gage, like Wade, has stepped into the lineup and has become a productive
part of the offense. Known for his ability to make acrobatic catches, Gage
is looking forward to capitalizing on Grossman's ability to open up the
field with the long ball.

"Rex has unbelievable arm strength and velocity," Gage said. "The big play
is his favorite play. That doesn't mean that Rex can't grind it out when
necessary.
He is very versatile that way, but if the situation calls for something
dramatic, Grossman's your man. The bottom line is that its time for Rex to
get out there so we can see what he can do. "

What comes up most often in any discussion about Grossman's ability is the
rookie's love for and understanding of the game.

‘I think Rex is unusual in that respect," Wade said. ‘His instincts are
incredible. I'm not only talking about knowing the playbook. He has a
feeling for the nuances of the game. That's something that can't be taught.
You either have it or you don't. If it's this Sunday or a year from Sunday,
he'll be good."

What impresses Bears players most is the fact that Grossman clearly enjoys
his job. No matter what the situation, Grossman is affable and enthusiastic.
His smile has become as much of a trademark as his tightly wound spiral.
To outsiders, this confidence might be interpreted as cockiness, but for
those on the team, it's' just the way Grossman expresses his love of the
game.

"He never thinks about what he can't do, just what he can," Brown said.
"That's been his personality as long as I've known him. If he throws a pass
and it doesn't go where he wants it to, he'll just grin. It may seem that
he's shrugging it off, or that he doesn't care but that's the way Rex
handles things. He's always enjoying himself, but also he's always
learning."

Even with the team mathematically out of contention for a playoff berth,
there seems to be a renewed sense of energy and purpose at Halas Hall.

"There's the feeling that this is the beginning of a new season," Gage said.
‘These next three games should give us an idea of where the team is headed.
Rex has been doing a fine job running the scout team all season. Now, we're
thinking ‘Let's see where he can take us from here'. This is the time when
good things can happen."